Illinois deer research / Pope County

Pope County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 20.6 — ranked #100 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

E - Below Average
20.6 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#100 of 102
Statewide rank
96
Record-book bucks (deduped)
206,433
Public-land acres
2,033
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Pope County index

Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.

Habitat · 25%26
Herd quality · 30%10
Population · 18%46
Momentum · 12%15
Trophy history · 15%8

Trophy record — counted once

96 unique record-book bucks from 101 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 5 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #38 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only92
In two books4
In all three books0
Unique bucks96

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248451,1882,033
20239141,3142,228
20221,0121,4442,456
20218711,2202,091
20201,0411,2802,321
20199381,4312,369
20188621,4402,302
20178351,5022,337
20168271,4322,259
20158291,6262,455
20149591,5012,460
20139231,3702,293
20128511,5832,434
20118621,7412,603
20108881,7152,603
20097621,7802,542
20089431,8412,784
20078052,1702,975
20067952,2113,006
20059192,2393,158

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Pope County runs 3.09 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Pope County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Pope County ran 1,246 bucks (males) and 787 does (females) — 61.3% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,2467872,03361.3%
20231,3908382,22862.4%
20221,4151,0412,45657.6%
20211,2468452,09159.6%
20201,3589632,32158.5%
20191,4089612,36959.4%
20181,3999032,30260.8%
20171,3739642,33758.8%
20161,3079522,25957.9%
20151,4739822,45560%
20141,4291,0312,46058.1%
20131,3529412,29359%
20121,3491,0852,43455.4%
20111,5521,0512,60359.6%
20101,4531,1502,60355.8%
20091,5081,0342,54259.3%
20081,5141,2702,78454.4%
20071,7321,2432,97558.2%
20061,8841,1223,00662.7%
20051,8301,3283,15857.9%

See full Pope County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Pope County ran 64.2% adult, 23.9% yearling, and 11.9% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,3064852422,033
20231,3665682942,228
20221,4995903672,456
20211,2614903402,091
20201,4805403012,321
20191,4845843012,369
20181,3976132922,302
20171,3935573872,337
20161,3785763052,259
20151,4546313702,455
20141,4855664092,460
20131,3825933182,293
20121,3636084632,434
20111,4786844412,603
20101,5455774812,603
20091,4756554122,542
20081,6676404772,784
20071,7266635862,975
20061,6748315013,006
20051,7878115603,158

Age class is IDNR's field classification at check-in, not a lab-aged tooth-wear cohort; treat it as a directional maturity signal.

See full Pope County composition charts →

Seasons & access

SeasonMethodDatesTags
Archery — Oct 1 to mid-Janarchery2025-10-01 → 2026-01-18otc
Firearm — 1st + 2nd Shotgun Seasonfirearm2025-11-21 → 2025-12-07otc
Muzzleloader — Decembermuzzleloader2025-12-12 → 2025-12-14otc

Public hunting land: 206,433 acres (86.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Pope County

Lusk Creek Wilderness · 6,632 acBurke Branch Roadless Area · 6,231 acBurden Falls Wilderness · 3,740 acBay Creek Wilderness · 2,760 acCretaceous Hills State Natural Area · 511 acBurden Falls Roadless Area · 485 acBig Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area · 331 acGibbons Creek Barrens State Natural Area · 175 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Pope County on the map

Parcels with owner & acreage, public hunting land with regs, access points, leaf-off imagery, and this research — together on one hunting map.

Open Fully Drawn Scout — freeSee all Pope County charts

Nearby counties

Massac · 30.7Hardin · 19Johnson · 20.2Saline · 39Gallatin · 49.7Williamson · 30.3Pulaski · 25.2Hamilton · 63.1
← #99 Alexander County#101 Johnson County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Pope County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Pope County scores 20.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (E - Below Average), ranked #100 of 102 Illinois counties. The index is built from IDNR public harvest records, habitat, herd quality, momentum, and record-book history deduplicated across the major whitetail record books.

How many record-book bucks have come from Pope County?

96 record-book whitetails are attributed to Pope County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.

Is there public hunting land in Pope County, Illinois?

Yes — about 206,433 acres of public hunting land, roughly 86.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Pope County last season?

IDNR records show 2,033 deer harvested in Pope County in 2024, the most recent reported season.